All Roads to Kerala

This is a discussion on All Roads to Kerala within Route / Travel Queries, part of the Travelogues category; Originally Posted by ampere
Totally agree you to you on that.
- Thats why I asked him, if visit to ...

- Thats why I asked him, if visit to Gokarna temple is a must?
- Also why I did not suggest Nagarhole, was because I was not sure, if he could get his routes correctly. Mysore-Gundlupet is a much easier option.
- If he can manage via Nagarhole, nothing like it !

We aren't planning on visiting any temples in Gokarna. It was kept as a stop for the 2nd night while coming from Delhi.
We won't be having GPS, just Google maps to help us out. Although I guess we can navigate our way through with it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ampere

- Is there a need to visit Gokarna while coming via Goa or you are look it more from routing standpoint?
- Because, if not then a better way to hit Waynad would to go via Jog/Hassan/Mysore
- Its equally rewarding in terms of what I call "scenic quotient" ! (How is SQ for new abbreviation ! )
You can do : Panaji-Karwar-Ankola-Honnavar-Sagar-Shimoga-Tarekere-Chikkamagulur-Belur-Hassan-Mysore-Gundlupet-Waynad.
As you can see you have an equally good option view lot may places. Near Sagar you can see Jog. And then you also have Chikkamagulur/Belur etc.

We are skipping Goa and will be doing Daman-Pune-Kolhapur-Dharwad-Gokarna. We are aiming to hit NH66 at Gokarna.
Thanks for the alternate route, Jog Falls sounds like a good option. What if we take a detour from Honnavar, see Jog falls then from Shimoga turn towards Mangalore to get back on the West coast and stay at Kasargod/Vythri/Kozhikode depending upon the time we have at hand. That'll save us from the Bhatkal stretch. Does this look achievable?

Quote:

Originally Posted by aargee

What is your destination & objective? If it's only drive & enjoy scenics I can suggest wonderful route that will stay evergreen in your memory. But if you're going towards a destination (like to attend a wedding or meet a friend with a purpose) then carry on to it.

The destination is Kanyakumari and the objective is to do Delhi-Kanyakumari in around 6 days with breaks at some scenic points. Please let me know about the alternate route.

We are skipping Goa and will be doing Daman-Pune-Kolhapur-Dharwad-Gokarna. We are aiming to hit NH66 at Gokarna.
Thanks for the alternate route, Jog Falls sounds like a good option. What if we take a detour from Honnavar, see Jog falls then from Shimoga turn towards Mangalore to get back on the West coast and stay at Kasargod/Vythri/Kozhikode depending upon the time we have at hand. That'll save us from the Bhatkal stretch.

You could also do Shimoga-Mysore-Vythiri(NH212)-Kozhikode-NH17-Coastal route to Alleppey

Shimoga-Wayanad can be easily done in one day (around 400kms)You could take Gokarna-Honnavar-Jog-Sagar-Shimoga-Bhadravathi-Kadur-Chikmagalur-Belur-Hassan-Srirangapatna-Mysore-Nanjagud-Gundlupet-Bandipur WLS-Muthanga WLS-Sultan Batheri-Vyhtiri.

Very scenic route running throgh many WLS with greenery all around.Chikmagalur is home to the Cafe Coffee Day estates.Belur is home to the UNESCO protected temple,Srirangapatna is Tipu Sultan's place,Mysore Palace,From Gundlupet onwards you drive via the famed Bandipur WLS to enter Kerala from Muthanga.

From Vythiri continue on NH212 till Kozhikode via Thamarassery ghats and connect to NH17 and continue all the way till Edappally where you connect to NH47 and continue all the way to Alleppey or Kumarakom whichever it is.Stay for a night or two.

We are skipping Goa and will be doing Daman-Pune-Kolhapur-Dharwad-Gokarna. We are aiming to hit NH66 at Gokarna.
Thanks for the alternate route, Jog Falls sounds like a good option. What if we take a detour from Honnavar, see Jog falls then from Shimoga turn towards Mangalore to get back on the West coast and stay at Kasargod/Vythri/Kozhikode depending upon the time we have at hand. That'll save us from the Bhatkal stretch. Does this look achievable?

If that is the case there is no need to hit the Konkan highway. I also understand taking 4-lane via Bangalore strips off the scenic roads. What you can do is :

- Do Pune - Belgaulm - Hubli via NH4 and then take NH63 to Yellapur.
- At Yellapur take the SH to Sagar via Srisi
- And then as I mentioned earlier, continue via Chikkamagulur/Hassan/Mysore or Nagarhole to Waynad.

You can also stay at Yellapur and visit Magod and Sathodi falls. Around Sirsi, you can visit Yana too. Option beyond Jog, I have already mentioned.

Those travelling between Ernakulam and Muvattupuzha especially in the evenings. I am taking below route to escape traffic and delay. there is no extra distance taking this route. condition of the route is "OK" enough except for some portions with gutters in kuzhikkad route.
Route: Padma-Vyttila Hub-Erur-Thrippunithura-Refinary road-Kuzhikkad(Turn Right)-Varikoly(NH85)-Kolenchery-Muvattupuzha

Those travelling between Ernakulam and Muvattupuzha especially in the evenings. I am taking below route to escape traffic and delay. there is no extra distance taking this route. condition of the route is "OK" enough except for some portions with gutters in kuzhikkad route.
Route:
Padma-Vyttila Hub-Erur-Thrippunithura-Refinary road-Kuzhikkad(Turn Right)-Varikoly(NH85)-Kolenchery-Muvattupuzha

Another route would be via Kakkanad-Karimugal-Puthencruz. Road is traffic free.

Also did Ernakulam-Nadakkavu-Piravom-Kaduthuruthy-Ettumanoor-Kottayam during my last trip. Kaduthuruthy-Peruva is amazingly relaid and well marked. Peruva-Piravom is 90% completed. Overall, another alternate route though its narrow.

Another route would be via Kakkanad-Karimugal-Puthencruz. Road is traffic free.

Also did Ernakulam-Nadakkavu-Piravom-Kaduthuruthy-Ettumanoor-Kottayam during my last trip. Kaduthuruthy-Peruva is amazingly relaid and well marked. Peruva-Piravom is 90% completed. Overall, another alternate route though its narrow.

Nadakkavu-Piravom is also in excellent condition.

But, in the evening traffic, there will be traffic blocks till Vazhakkala wasting even 40 minutes to reach from where I left(Eranakulam city). I used to take private buses(Limited Stop/FP) from Kaloor and even they need 1hour25min in average to reach Muvattupuzha.If I ever take Kakkanad route, I will continue driving through Kakkanad-Pattimattom-Muvattupuzha road which was quiet OK before monsoon.

Eroor-kuzhikkad route- a new "find" for Me - is comfortably wide enough though sometimes hilly, but considering the traffic chaos even up till Thiruvankulam(yesterday there was road works going on blocking the whole traffic towards Thrippunithura!), this route let us reach near Puthenkurish without touching Chambakkara,Petta,Thrippunithura,Thiruvankulam - You may be knowing the traffic at the evenings on this route which have increased multi fold.

EDIT: Note that I will recommend Vyttila-Thrippunithura-Kolenchery NH route in the working hours time because traffic is within comfortable limit. I am just suggesting new route for the evenings where the chaos around Thrippunithura is way too much. and we don't have Bypasses and road widening ever happening in eastern routes off Ernakulam city anytime soon.

Shimoga-Wayanad can be easily done in one day (around 400kms)You could take Gokarna-Honnavar-Jog-Sagar-Shimoga-Bhadravathi-Kadur-Chikmagalur-Belur-Hassan-Srirangapatna-Mysore-Nanjagud-Gundlupet-Bandipur WLS-Muthanga WLS-Sultan Batheri-Vyhtiri.

Very scenic route running throgh many WLS with greenery all around.Chikmagalur is home to the Cafe Coffee Day estates.Belur is home to the UNESCO protected temple,Srirangapatna is Tipu Sultan's place,Mysore Palace,From Gundlupet onwards you drive via the famed Bandipur WLS to enter Kerala from Muthanga.

I will be taking this route in november (waynad-shimoga). Can you give me some more clarity about this route with regards to -
the extent of ghat section,
roads with/without median,
No of lanes and
any interesting places to eat.

I will be taking this route in november (Gokarna-Honnavar-Jog-Sagar-Shimoga-Bhadravathi-Kadur-Chikmagalur-Belur-Hassan-Srirangapatna-Mysore-Nanjagud-Gundlupet-Bandipur WLS-Muthanga WLS-Sultan Batheri-Vyhtiri.). Can you give me some more clarity about this route with regards to -
the extent of ghat section,
roads with/without median,
No of lanes and
any interesting places to eat.

-Some ghat sections in between Chikmagalur and Shimoga(not really a ghat nevertheless) and ghat section between Ankola & Hubli and and between Nipani and Kolhapur

-Between Wayanad and Shimoga there is no 4 laned section,hence no median

-There are plenty of restaurants between Wayanad and Sulthan Batheri,then at Gundlupet there is CCD and again plenty of wayside restaurants till you reach Mysore.Between Mysore and Hassan not many,inside Hassan town you have restaurants which you would pass on your way to Belur,then there is Hoysala Village Resort on Belur road,at Chikmagalur try the Benne Dosa at Town Canteen and also Coffee powder from Pandurange Coffee Works (www.pandurangacoffee.com).